Loss Felt All Around
by meegeesgeek
Summary: Alternate ending to Grace Period.  Rated T for the mention of death.


Loss Felt Around the Team

Characters: Sarah McGee/ Paula Cassidy/ birds…and the team as well

Alternate ending to _Grace Period_

Word Count: 2,319

Comments are welcome below!

It was a crisp fall autumn afternoon that found these desolated looking adults at St. Andrews cemetery. Each person was here to honor the memory of Timothy McGee and each person was trying desperately to keep a lid on their wild emotions for the sake of Tim's family, and each one was grasping at straws as how to describe their fallen angel of a teammate.

The immortal Leroy Jethro Gibbs tried in vain to make sure their team was given the weekend off. After all the man had every intention of cozying on up with one Hollis Mann and he wanted nothing more than to be able to spend the night with her in his basement sipping on bourbon, while Hollis tried to weasel out information about the hermit man's life before he came to be a field agent. Tony DiNozzo wanted nothing more that to just check out the weekend Washington Wizards game with a couple of his old frat buddies—it was a last ditch effort on his part to hold onto the frat boy image that had been securely held in place over the years. Yet in all reality he wasn't getting any younger so he figured that eventually the time would come when all his frat buddies left him out in the cold for the warm embraces of a settled life, oh how he hates top be left out. Then there was Ziva who would probably enjoy one of the last few nice days out to get in a few more insane runs, as well as a nice night at home cleaning out her overused guns. Then Tim was looking forward to the possibility to getting in some more writing for the next level seeing as how Lyndi was getting more impatient with each missed deadline because she saw money signs dwindling in her eyes.

However no such reprieve was given to the overtaxed team and yet again they were left to deal with the tip line. None of them were particularly happy but mused that it was just a sad reality of their jobs. While Tim was happy that thus far no tips had been called in his counterparts were just itching for some action, so when an anonymous tipper called in about thwarting a possible attack, Ziva and Tony marveled at the opportunity to get out for a bit.

"Finally some action for team DiNozzo, my skills are just wilting away behind this computer her" quipped the senior agent.

"Is that right Tony maybe you should stay here then?" remarked Gibbs who came in with what must have been his third cup of coffee in the last hour.

"Awww boss what fun would that be" mused Tony.

Thwack! Was the only response Gibbs dispensed out.

It was banter like that that filled the car while the team went to the downtown location to stakeout the potential target. However while Tiny and Ziva exchanged misused idioms and crummy conversation about useless movie trivia, all Tim could think about was the impending mission. This was the part of the job that excited Tim at the beginning—the adrenaline that runs through one's body upon thwarting deadly missions, however over the years that excitement had dulled down. While he enjoyed the thrill of the takedown he had also become keenly aware of the possibility of not being able to thwart the plan, and the bitter taste of defeat never sat well with the computer prodigy. This was also the job that scared his sister Sarah the most.

_Flashback_

"_Tim are you serious?" whined Sarah._

"_Yesss as a matter fact I am, being a federal agent his more fulfilling that wasting away behind some corporate computer" responded Tim_

"_But that means that you'll have to carry a gun and defend yourself—this coming from the man that couldn't even stand up to the bullies in high school" moaned Sarah_

"_Well this is different—I am doing this for all those people that cannot stand up for themselves" "Plus over time this will become easier and I am much braver than I used to be!" Tim said_

"_Yeah but if you get hurt then I'll be all on my own" Sarah said_

_Truth be told Tim did worry about that. About a month into Tim's sophomore year at MIT he had received that his mom and dad had been killed in an automobile accident. The lovebirds had been on their way to watch Sarah compete in a sports match, but they had been hit head on by a drunk driver. While the news had devastated Tim, it had crushed Sarah. From that day on Tim made it his mission to keep his baby sister safe, but by going into law enforcement he would have a better opportunity to help her and people like her._

_End of flashback_

When the team and their unmarked van finally pulled into their destination Gibbs dispensed the jobs. Tony and Tim were to case the no named shop discretely. Ziva and the leader would take photos from their car and report back to the boys on any leads.

"Hey McGee you'll finally get some use of those new walking boots you've been ranting about so much" Tony laughed out

"Okay whatever Tony let's just go find a place to sit at that café over there" mused Tim.

While Tim and Tony staked out the shop from the nearby café making sure to look for anything odd or out of place, the other members of team Gibbs took photos from the car. The foursome was getting annoyed at the lack of traffic at the shop in question, they were getting ready to pack it in when another call came in.

The man said that the attack was in final preparations and if things did not move quickly that they would not be able to stop the attack. So playing along Gibbs ordered Tim and Tony to go in and check the shop out.

"Ohhhh finally some action" shrieked the senior agent

"Yea so much fun going into a potential bomb infested factory Tony" Tim bit out.

_Flashback_

_When Tim walked into the shop he felt as though something was off about the dynamic. After all the shop had little to offer and the only man in the shop was sitting behind a counter looking suspicious. Then Tim heard it—the little tick tok of a bomb and it made Tim's heart stop. He had no way of knowing just how long that he and Tony would have to get out before the bomb exploded, but he knew that he had to try his hardest to get Tony out. That is why as the suicide bomber left off his feet towards Tim muttering something in Arabic Tim pushed Tony through some sort of secret doorway that opened. _

_Tony had no idea what was going on, but merely seconds later after being pushed into the adjoining room he heard the unmistakable sound of a Kaboom! And his heart sickened. He knew that Tim was dead and probably disintegrated into millions of little ashes by that point. All that was left for him to do was cry and grieve for the loss of another close person to him_

_As Gibbs saw the storefront light up with blazing flames of glory he was sickened and he felt as though a part of him too died. Another part of him died and he felt as though the flames were dancing at with agony. Another death of someone he cared about, and another reminder of just how short life can be._

_Ziva despite her Mossad upbringing had tears forming in her eyes. While she had detonated her share of bombs on corrupt people who aimed at hurting her government, and sure she had lost partners along the way, none of that fleeting pain compared to the whole she felt enveloped in. Tim had been the first one to welcome her and he had gone out of his way to make her feel welcome amongst people that felt as though she was responsible for Kate's death. However this man had welcomed her by helping her find an apartment and showing her the best routes to work. Those were things that she had never thanked him or thinking that she would have the time to, and these were secrets that she kept burrowed deep within her soul._

_End of flashback_

Those were the circumstances that brought the leaders of the MCRT to the local cemetery on this autumn afternoon. Paula Cassidy and her team were there as well seeing as how many in their team had been close with the computer genius. Cassidy and her team also helped work a joint investigation with the remaining teammates out for blood—they had been none too happy to find out about the attack being a part of a bigger one that was thwarted at the last minute.

Many people at NCIs showed up to the funeral as did many of Tim's gaming friends, friends from college and others as well. Everyone that spoke in behalf of the man said how much of an old soul that he was, and how he was always willing to help others, and put himself last. It was qualities like those that made the man well respected and liked, but after the funeral only a select few of people lingered to pay their final respects.

Abby gripped tight onto her umbrella while laying down black rose for the man that she now feared that she loved. She knew when Gibbs came into the lab with that lost miles away look that Tim was lost to her forever. No more would he come down to her lab to help her hack the unhackable, and he would no longer be there to make her smile by just twinkling his eyes. No, no he was gone from her and she was pretty sure that she would never be able to replace him.

Next was Ducky who quietly reminisced about the times that the young man had come down to his lair to sip tea and listen to his old tales about previous lives. He also grieved for the fact that the man would never be able to grow old himself, or experience the joys of marriage of fatherhood. Those things had been stolen from him by those ruthless people hell-bent on bring the Jihad fight to the America's. All that was left to do was lay down a deep ruby rose next to Abigail's black one, and hope that the man was seeking solace in heaven.

The autopsy gremlin next laid a single red rose on the flag covered casket while thinking back on the times that Tim had been kind to him. And how he gave him advice on how to deal with Gibbs because he too had once been the probie. Jimmy was sad that he had only known Tim for a short while because he is pretty sure that he was a wealth of information.

After Jimmy was Ziva who was desperately trying to clamp down on the overwhelming urge to breakdown right here. While she had been hunting down the men responsible for killing her teammate she had never had the time to dwell upon the fact that he was truly gone, however once she and the others were finished placing roses on the casket they would disperse to their home, however Tim would be stuck here in the ground unable to transcend death.

Tony followed Ziva and no matter how many times he lost someone it always hurt. The loss of Tim felt so much worse because he felt guilty over not recognizing the sound before, and he felt as though he had failed to have his partners six. Laying down the thick thorned rose was done with a heavy heart, and all the while he was remembering the times that he hazed the younger man, and the times where he ragged on him for his old fashioned values and manners of dress. Yet none of that mattered no because his probie was now gone—and the loss hurt like hell.

Last to go was Gibbs. Gibbs unlike Kate's funeral was right on time. He felt as though his heart was physically breaking as a result of Tim's death. Unlike the killing of his family's murderers catching the perpetrators behind Tim's death had been anything but satisfying. Gibbs just felt as though he had let another man down and that never sat with an ex marine well. Placing the rose down alongside the others was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He hoped that this feeling never would be felt again, but given their line of work that was unlikely.

Sarah McGee, Tim's baby sister watched as the teammates said their final farewells to their teammate. Sarah was devastated when Gibbs came to tell her of her brother's death, and now she just felt utterly alone. But in all actuality she wasn't alone because the team members had welcomed her with open arms and had been a source of strength and support in this time of crisis. As she watched alongside the others as her brother was lowered into his final resting place she couldn't help but notice the flock of turtledoves on the horizon. Those were her brother's favorite birds because of their uniqueness, so how fitting was it that they were there to shepherd him into the next phase of life.

Also when she was leaving the cemetery with the others Sarah could have sworn that the birds carried Tim's spirit with them almost as if her brother was there to look over everyone. Maybe she wasn't alone after all.


End file.
